Lawns play an essential role in landscaping, bringing beauty and pleasure. However, maintaining lawns can be a challenge, especially when dealing with weeds and pests. Weeds on lawns not only affect appearance but are also difficult to eliminate. And when pests strike, large areas of lawns can lose vigor.
1. How To Differ Diseases Caused By Pests And Fungi
Pests and fungi can cause blocky yellow spots on lawns. In mild cases, there may be regional withering and death, and in severe cases, large areas can dry up and die. Lawn problems caused by underground pests are characterized by bites marks on the rhizomes of lawn grass, accompanied by insect feces. Unlike fungi diseases, there will be no mycelium or oil on the lawn.
2. Characteristics Of Underground Pests
Common underground pests that harm lawns include grubs, mole crickets, and cutworms.
Grubs: They typically concentrate on biting grass roots within 10 cm of the ground surface. There are obvious signs of biting at the rhizomes, and the turf can be easily separated from the soil. Lawns damaged by grubs show large areas of drying up and alopecia.
Mole crickets: Lawns damaged by mole crickets have striped soil due to their tunneling activities. They cut off plant roots and stems, causing plants to die from water loss.
Cutworms: Cutworm larvae live in groups at the roots of lawns. They hide underground during the day and feed on leaves and tender stems at night. After feeding, there is a large amount of feces on the surface. Late-instar larvae have a large appetite, leading to large areas of yellowing and alopecia and eventual death.
3. Occurrence Patterns of Underground Pests
Underground pests are somewhat hidden and difficult to detect in the early stages. By understanding their occurrence patterns, we can take preventive measures.
Occurrence season: Spring and autumn are peak seasons. Harm usually starts in mid-to-late March, weakens in summer due to high temperatures, and resumes in autumn. When the soil temperature drops to 10°C, pests hibernate.
Time of harm: Most underground pests hide during the day and are active at night, especially between 7 and 10 pm.
Best time for control: There are two key periods – the larval harm period (best before the third instar) and the early egg-laying period of adults.
4. Key Points for Controlling Underground Pests
Master the period of medication. Prevent larval pests in mid-to-early March, trap and kill adults from late May to late June, and target larval pests again from late June to mid-to-late July. Use medication during high-incidence periods as needed.
Determine the time of medication. Applying pesticides at 5-6 pm improves utilization.
Use the correct medication method. For underground pest larvae, use seed dressing with safe and effective microbial pest control solutions like bacillus thuringiensis and beauveria bassiana provided by Dora for green and environmentally friendly control. ( Bacillus thuringiensis product, beauveria bassiana product)
Tips: Do not water the soil two days before applying the medicine. Keep the soil dry for better control effect when applying and watering.